Embossing tool with controlled spacing

ABSTRACT

There is described an embossing tool for embossing characters on plastic tape in which the incremental feed of the tape with each stroke of the operating lever of the embossing tools may be controlled from a selector knob. The same selector knob can be used to prevent any incremental advance of the tape during an embossing stroke of the tool&#39;&#39;s operating lever. The character punches are molded on a single annular flexible ring which is rotatably mounted on a stationary hub together with a second rigid ring on which the character dies are formed. The punch and die rings are locked on the hub to form an assembly having a large central opening in which can be positioned the tape guiding and advancing mechanisms, and which can be readily removed and replaced as an assembly.

atent 1 States Van Arnam et al.

Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant ExaminerR. T. Rader Attorney, Agent, or FirmChristie, Parker & Hale [5 7] ABSTRACT There is described an embossing tool for embossing characters on plastic tape in which the incremental feed of the tape with each stroke of the operating lever of the embossing tools may be controlled from a selector knob. The same selector knob can be used to prevent any incremental advance of the tape during an embossing stroke of the tools operating lever. The character punches are molded on a single annular flexible ring which is rotatably mounted on a stationary hub together with a second rigid ring on which the character dies are formed. The punch and die rings are locked on the hub to form an assembly having a large central opening in which can be positioned the tape guiding and advancing mechanisms, and which can be readily removed and replaced as an assembly.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures EMBOSSING TOOL WITH CONTROLLED SPACING [75] Inventors: Donald E. Van Arnam, Surfside;

Clifton P. Colwell, Claremont, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Avery Products Corporation, San

Marino, Calif.

[22] Filed: Dec. 8, 1972 '[21] Appl. No.: 313,269

[52] US. Cl. l97/6.7 [51] Int. Cl B4lj 1/30 [58] Field of Search 197/6.7, 83, 84; 101/18 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,272,301 9/1966 Craig. l97/6.7 3,391,773 7/1968 Nicole et al. l97/6.7 3,414,102 12/1968 Norvelle i l97/6.7 3,732,963 5/1973 Kraayenhof et al. 197/6.7

PATENTEDJUL awn 3.822773 SHEETI- 0F 5 sum 30F 5 PATENTEDJUL v919M SHEET h 0F 5 PATENTED JEN. 91974 SHEETSUF5 EMBOSSING TOOL WITH CONTROLLED SPACING FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an embossing tool in which the spacing between characters can be controlled by a selector knob.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Manual embossing tools for imprinting characters and symbols on plastic tape are well known. Such embossing tools have a selector wheel for rotating a series of character punches and associated dies to select a particular character which is embossed on a strip of tape by squeezing the hand tool. As each character is embossed on the tape, an advance mechanism indexes the tape a predetermined amount for embossing of the next character. In order to provide an embossing tool for some non-English alphabets, such as the Japanese I-Iiragana and Katakana alphabets, it becomes impractical to provide a separate punch and die for every alphabetic character. To overcome this problem, it is desirable to use symbols which can be combined to form single characters. For example, in the Japanese phonetic alphabets, the alphabetic characters are composed of base character forms and one of two pronunciationtype marks which are placed above and slightly to the right of the base character forms.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved embossing tool which is particularly suited to embossing composite characters from a combination of symbols. This is accomplished in part by providing an embossing tool in which the feed mechanism of the tape, by which the tape is incrementally moved past the point of engagement with the embossing punch and die, is controlled by a selector mechanism that is manually controlled. The setting of the selector mechanism controls the extent of the incremental longitudinal movement of the plastic tape on each operating stroke of the embossing tool. The same manual selector mechanism can also be depressed during an actuating stroke to prevent any incremental movement of the tape during the embossing operation. This arrangement permits a number of symbols to be superimposed or to be varied in their relative proximity, permitting the symbols to be combined to construct a large number of composite characters.

Another feature of the present invention is that the individual punch elements for embossing each symbol are molded on a single thin, flat, flexible ring. The ring is rotatably supported on a stationary hub along with a rigid plastic ring in which the embossing die for each symbol is formed. The flexible punch allows the punch and die rings to be separated at one point in the periphery thereof to permit the tape to pass between the punch and die elements. Pressure applied to the flexible ring permits the individual punch elements to be pressed against the tape and the mating die to emboss the surface of the tape. The flexibility of the punch ring prevents adjacent punches from marking the tape during the embossing operation even though the tape width spans two or more adjacent characters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a sectional view of the embossing tool of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view partly in section of the embossing tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the punch and die assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 indicates generally the housing of the tool. Two molded halves l2 and 14 are joined together to form a housing having a pistoltype grip with a hollow interior. In FIG. 1 the tool is shown with the half 14 removed. A molded trigger lever 16 is pivotally supported at one end on a pin 18 extending between the two halves of the housing. A flat spring 19 extends between a supporting notch 20 molded inside the housing 10 and a notch 22 molded inside the lever 16. The spring 19 normally urges the lever away from the housing about the pivot pin 18 against a stop 24.

A cover 26 hinged to the housing by pin 28 may be lifted to insert a roll of tape inside the hollow handle of the housing 10. The tape is indicated by phantom lines at 30. The tape is directed off the roll along a tape guide, indicated generally at 32, over the periphery of a tape feed roller 34 which is joumaled on a shaft 35 extending between the two halves of the housing 10. The tape is pressed against the outer periphery of the feed roller 34 by a flat spring member 36 which has a wide section 38 at one end which is held in position by engaging opposing slots formed in the two halves of the housing. The other end 40 of the flat spring 36 presses against the cover 26 to urge the cover outwardly and hold it open while a new roll of tape is being inserted in the embossing tool.

After passing the feed roller 34, the tape continues through an additional guide section 42 in the interior of the housing and then passes out of the housing through the embossing region indicated generally at 44 between an upper die ring 46 and lower flexible punch ring 48 to be hereinafter described in more detail. The lever 16 has an integrally formed lobe 50 which engages the punch ring 48 beneath the tape in the embossing region 44. When the lever 16 is squeezed during actuation of the tool, the lobe 50 urges one of the punches on the punch ring 48 against the tape, pressing it against the associated die in the die ring 46 to emboss a symbol or character on the tape.

One feature of the present invention is a manual feed selector by which the incremental advance of the tape by the feed roller 34 with each actuation of the lever 16 is adjustably controlled. The feed mechanism includes a feed arm 52 which is joumaled on the same shaft 35 with the roller 34, as best seen in crosssectional view of FIG. 3. The arm 52 and feed roller 34 are coupled by a one-way or overdrive-type clutch which includes a coil spring 56 wrapped around adjacent shoulders 58 and 60 of the feed roller 34 and arm 52 respectively. The coils of the spring 56 are wrapped in a direction such that rotation of the arm 52 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, causes the coils to tighten down on the shoulders 58 and 60, thereby transmitting a torque from the arm 52 to the feed roller 34. Rotation of the arm 52 in a clockwise direction unwinds the spring 56, causing it to slip on the shoulders 58 and 60 so that no torque is transferred to the feed roller 34. Thus reciprocal motion of the arm 52 advances the feed roller 34 only in a counterclockwise direction with each counterclockwise stroke of the arm 52.

The outer end of the arm has a pin 62 which engages an elongated slot 64 in a feed link 66. The link 66 is pivotally supported from the housing by a shaft 68 extending between the two halves of the housing 10. The link has a lobe 70 which engages a flat spring 72 that is anchored in cantilever fashion from the housing by an integrally molded clamp 74. Thus the spring 72, in pressing against the lobe 70, urges the link 66 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, which in turn urges the arm 52 in a clockwise direction so that the spring clutch is released.

The feed link 66 in turn is connected through a lostmotion linkage to the operating lever 16. To this end, a pin 76 on the lever 16 extends into an opening 78 in the feed link 66. The opening 78 is elongated in the direction of movement of the pin 76 by the lever 16. Thus as the lever 16 is squeezed during the operation of the tool, moving the pin inwardly of the housing 10, the spring 72 causes the link 66 to move so as to rotate the feed arm 52 in a clockwise direction. When the lever 16 is released, the spring 19 forces the lever outwardly back to its initial position, and in so doing, the pin 76 engages the surface 80 of the opening 78, forcing the link 66 to move outwardly in a clockwise direction and in turn causing the arm 52 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. The arm 52 in turn through the clutch spring 56 causes counterclockwise rotation of the feed roller 34, thereby pushing the tape along in a direction toward the embossing station 44.

By limiting the distance the link 66 moves inwardly during the squeezing of the operating lever 16, the angular extent of the rotation of the feed roller 34 during the return stroke of the lever 16 can be controlled. This is accomplished by a manually controlled selector mechanism which is best seen in FIG. 4. The selector mechanism includes a shaft 84 which extends through the wall of the housing half 12. The shaft 84 is provided with a shoulder 86 which has a detent in the form of a projection 88 that engages one of the group of angularly positioned notches on the interior of the housing. The detent provides angular indexing of the selector shaft 84. A selector knob 90 on the outside of the housing permits the selector shaft 84 to be rotated through the several angular positions controlled by the detent.

Between the flange 94 and shoulder 86 on the shaft 84 there is provided a cam section 98. As best shown in FIG. 1, the cam section consists of a group of lobes 99 of varying radial extent. The cam section 98 is positioned in the same plane as the link 66 so that counterclockwise rotation of the link 66 brings it into contact with one of the cam lobes on the shaft 84, depending upon the angular setting of the shaft 84 by the selector control knob 90. Thus the cam lobes act as a variable stop for selecting the angular movement of the feed arm 52.

Another feature of this arrangement is that when the selector knob 90 is pressed inwardly to its fullest extent against the spring 92 and held there during the operating stroke of the tool, the shoulder 86 acts as a stop for the link 66. The diameter of the shoulder 86 is such that it prevents any significant movement of the link 66 and associated control arm 52, thereby eliminating any feeding of the tape during the embossing operation performed with the knob fully depressed.

A splined intercouple between the spring mounting end of selector shaft 84 and the corresponding boss 96 prevents rotational misalignment of cams 99 while knob 90 and shaft 84 are depressed.

The embossing dial assembly. as shown by the exploded view of FIG. 5, includes a retainer ring 100 molded from a rigid plastic. The retainer ring includes a thin-walled cylindrical portion 102 and an upper flange portion 104 and lower flange portion 106 which extend around the margins of the cylinder portion 102 over substantially half the circumference of the ring. The outer periphery of the center portion 102 also includes a pair of wedging ridges 108 in the region immediately adjacent where the flanges 104 and 106 terminate. The embossing punch ring 48 is molded of a thin, flexible plastic material having a central opening of substantially the same diameter as the outside of the cylindrical portion 102 of the retainer ring 100. The ring 48 is slit radially around the outer periphery to divide the ring into a plurality of individual punch elements.

The flexible embossing punch ring 48 is first snapped on the retainer ring 100 below wedges 108 and adjacent to flange 106. The stiff embossing die 46 is then snapped on the retainer ring 100 on top of wedge 108 and punch ring 48. The flanges 104 and 106 hold the two rings together with the punch symbols engaging the corresponding die impressions on the die ring to maintain the two rings in registration as they are rotated. The wedge elements 108 deflect the flexible embossing punch ring 48 downwardly to provide a space between the two rings through which the embossing tape passes.

Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the punch and die assembly is inserted into the housing by first swinging a hinged cover 110 out of the way. The cover 110 is pivoted about the same pin 18 as the lever 16. As best seen in FIG. 3, the cover is locked into closed position by a pair of integral latch fingers 112 which snap into openings 114 provided in the walls of the housing 10. The fingers 112 can be manually squeezed inwardly to release the fingers and permit the cover 110 to be swung to the open position.

The punch and die assembly is easily inserted into position and held against rotation by a pair of lugs 1 16 integrally formed on the inside of the retainer ring 100 at diametrically opposite positions. These lugs engage notches molded in the housing 10 which secure the retainer ring 100 against rotation. The cover 110 is formed with a viewing opening 118 immediately above the embossing station 44 which permits the operator to see which symbol of the embossing die ring is in position to emboss the tape. Rotation of the embossing die ring permits any one of the plurality of symbols to be rotated into embossing position, the embossing punch and die rings being freely rotatable about the retainer ring through 360 degrees. One position of the ring includes a pair of cut-off knives 120 which are locked in the embossing die ring 46 and sever the tape when the embossing punch ring 48 presses the tape upwardly against the knife edges 120.

The construction of the embossing ring assembly permits a large opening within the ring into which the tape guiding portions of the housing and the tape itself can extend in moving the tape through the embossing station 44. This is accomplished by the unique construction of the punch ring 48 which has a radial width that is approximately one-fourth the outer radius of the ring. In spite of the relatively short length of the punch elements, pressing of one punch element against the tape does not cause an adjacent element to press hard enough against the tape to produce any mark. This is accomplished by reducing the thickness of the punch ring at the inner circumference, so that the ring readily twists between adjacent elements when one punch element is deflected out of the plane of the ring.

What is claimed is:

1. In a manual embossing tool in which a strip of embossing tape is advanced in increments through an embossing station with each actuation of the tool, apparatus for feeding the tape comprising a housing member having a portion forming a handle for manually gripping the tool, an operating lever pivotally supported by the housing, first spring means between the housing and lever for biasing the lever in one direction, a tape feed roller rotatably mounted in the housing in contact with the tape for advancing the tape, a feed roller arm, an overdrive clutch coupling the arm to the roller for driving the roller in one direction only in response to reciprocal motion of the arm, a link pivotally supported by the housing and coupled at one end to the arm for rotating the arm with pivotal movement of the link, an adjustable stop means in the housing engaging the link when the lever is actuated, second spring means between the housing and link for urging the link toward the stop means, and lost-motion means coupling the link and lever such that the lever positively engages and moves the link away from the stop means with movement of the lever by the first spring means, the adjustable stop means including a shaft joumaled in the housing for rotation about an axis, and a cam section on the shaft in which the radius of the outer surface of the cam section varies with the angle about the axis of rotation of the shaft, the link engaging said cam section.

2. Apparatus of claim 1 including a pointer knob on the end of the shaft positioned outside the housing for manually selecting the angular position of the shaft and associated cam section to select the stop setting for the link 3. Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shaft is movable longitudinally of the axis of rotation, spring means urging the shaft in one direction, a flange on the shaft, axial movement of the shaft against the spring moving the flange portion into registration with the link, the flange acting as a stop for preventing movement of the link.

4. In a manual embossing tool in which a tape is fed in incremental steps through an embossing station having a rotatable set of embossing dies and punches, by actuating and releasing a single operating lever to squeeze the tape between any selected one of the embossing dies and punches when the lever is actuated and to advance the tape when the lever is released, apparatus for selectively controlling the extent of incremental advance of the tape by actuation of the operating lever, comprising reciprocating means engaging the tape for moving the tape forward on each stroke of the reciprocating means in one direction, the length of the stroke controlling the distance the tape is moved, spring means moving the reciprocating means in the opposite direction, lost motion linkage interconnecting the operating lever and the reciprocating means such that release of the lever drives the reciprocating means in the direction to advance the tape, stop means for controlling the extent of movement of the reciprocating means by the spring means, and means including a control knob adjustable independently of the rotating dies and punches for adjusting the position of the stop means to control the length of the movement of the reciprocating means.

5. Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the reciprocating means includes a feed wheel engaging the surface of the tape, a reciprocating arm coaxial with the feed wheel, overdrive clutch means coupling the arm to the wheel, and a link pivotally mounted at one end and slidably engaging the arm at the other end, the lost motion means including a pin on the lever extending into an elongated opening in the link.

6. An embossing tool of embossing characters on a strip of plastic tape by squeezing the tape between a punch and a die, comprising means for advancing the tape after squeezing it between the punch and die, means for selectively controlling the length of tape advanced by the tape advancing means, the controlling means including a manually-operated lever settable to a plurality of angular positions, each position providing a different length of feed, and means responsive to movement of the lever for preventing any advance of tape by the tape-advancing means.

7. In an embossing tool for embossing a plurality of different characters on a plastic tape in which the tape is moved incrementally through an embossing station, the improvement comprising an embossing assembly including a hollow cylindrical retainer ring adapted to be removably mounted on the embossing tool, a pair of punch and die rings including a rigid flat ring joumaled on the retainer ring and a thin flexible ring joumaled on the retainer ring, the punch and die rings having opposing surfaces with matching punch and die embossing elements formed thereon, the die and punch rings being freely rotatable as a unit on the retainer ring, the retainer ring having integral radially projecting flanges forming spaced apart parallel surfaces, the punch and die rings being held between said surfaces, the distance between the surfaces corresponding to the combined axial thickness of the punch and die rings with the matching punch and die elements engaged, the flanges extending around only a portion of the outer periphery of the retainer ring, and the retainer ring having a pair of integrally formed wedging guides projecting from the outer periphery of the retainer ring between the punch and die rings beyond the flanges to bend the flexible ring away from the rigid ring in the portion of the outer periphery of the retainer ring remote from said flanged portion.

8. Apparatus of claim 7 further including tape guiding means extending into the hollow central region of the cylindrical retainer ring for guiding the tape between the punch and die rings in the region in which the rings are wedged apart.

9. Apparatus of claim 8 including actuating means engaging the flexible ring at a point adjacent the place where the tape passes between the punch and die rings ring and only slightly shorter than the radial thickness of the ring, whereby the fingers can be individually deflected without transmitting sufficient twisting force through the ring to produce any embossing action by the adjacent fingers.

mg UNITED STATES PATENT orrrct CERTMQAT Patent No. 3,822,773 Dated July 9, 1974 Inventofls) DONALD E. VAN ARNAM and CLIFTON P. COLWELL It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Please change: "Assignee: Avery Products Corporation San Marino, Calif.

--Assignee: PrimarkProducts Company Reno, Nevada-- Per assignment recorded May 6, 1974, at Reel 3076, Frame 724.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioneriof Patents 

1. In a manual embossing tool in which a strip of embossing tape is advanced in increments through an embossing station with each actuation of the tool, apparatus for feeding the tape comprising a housing member having a portion forming a handle for manually gripping the tool, an operating lever pivotally supported by the housing, first spring means between the housing and lever for biasing the lever in one direction, a tape feed roller rotatabLy mounted in the housing in contact with the tape for advancing the tape, a feed roller arm, an overdrive clutch coupling the arm to the roller for driving the roller in one direction only in response to reciprocal motion of the arm, a link pivotally supported by the housing and coupled at one end to the arm for rotating the arm with pivotal movement of the link, an adjustable stop means in the housing engaging the link when the lever is actuated, second spring means between the housing and link for urging the link toward the stop means, and lost-motion means coupling the link and lever such that the lever positively engages and moves the link away from the stop means with movement of the lever by the first spring means, the adjustable stop means including a shaft journaled in the housing for rotation about an axis, and a cam section on the shaft in which the radius of the outer surface of the cam section varies with the angle about the axis of rotation of the shaft, the link engaging said cam section.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 including a pointer knob on the end of the shaft positioned outside the housing for manually selecting the angular position of the shaft and associated cam section to select the stop setting for the link
 3. Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shaft is movable longitudinally of the axis of rotation, spring means urging the shaft in one direction, a flange on the shaft, axial movement of the shaft against the spring moving the flange portion into registration with the link, the flange acting as a stop for preventing movement of the link.
 4. In a manual embossing tool in which a tape is fed in incremental steps through an embossing station having a rotatable set of embossing dies and punches, by actuating and releasing a single operating lever to squeeze the tape between any selected one of the embossing dies and punches when the lever is actuated and to advance the tape when the lever is released, apparatus for selectively controlling the extent of incremental advance of the tape by actuation of the operating lever, comprising reciprocating means engaging the tape for moving the tape forward on each stroke of the reciprocating means in one direction, the length of the stroke controlling the distance the tape is moved, spring means moving the reciprocating means in the opposite direction, lost motion linkage interconnecting the operating lever and the reciprocating means such that release of the lever drives the reciprocating means in the direction to advance the tape, stop means for controlling the extent of movement of the reciprocating means by the spring means, and means including a control knob adjustable independently of the rotating dies and punches for adjusting the position of the stop means to control the length of the movement of the reciprocating means.
 5. Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the reciprocating means includes a feed wheel engaging the surface of the tape, a reciprocating arm coaxial with the feed wheel, overdrive clutch means coupling the arm to the wheel, and a link pivotally mounted at one end and slidably engaging the arm at the other end, the lost motion means including a pin on the lever extending into an elongated opening in the link.
 6. An embossing tool of embossing characters on a strip of plastic tape by squeezing the tape between a punch and a die, comprising means for advancing the tape after squeezing it between the punch and die, means for selectively controlling the length of tape advanced by the tape advancing means, the controlling means including a manually-operated lever settable to a plurality of angular positions, each position providing a different length of feed, and means responsive to movement of the lever for preventing any advance of tape by the tape-advancing means.
 7. In an embossing tool for embossing a plurality of different characters on a plastic tape in which the tape is moved incrementally through an embossing station, the improvement comprising an embossing assemblY including a hollow cylindrical retainer ring adapted to be removably mounted on the embossing tool, a pair of punch and die rings including a rigid flat ring journaled on the retainer ring and a thin flexible ring journaled on the retainer ring, the punch and die rings having opposing surfaces with matching punch and die embossing elements formed thereon, the die and punch rings being freely rotatable as a unit on the retainer ring, the retainer ring having integral radially projecting flanges forming spaced apart parallel surfaces, the punch and die rings being held between said surfaces, the distance between the surfaces corresponding to the combined axial thickness of the punch and die rings with the matching punch and die elements engaged, the flanges extending around only a portion of the outer periphery of the retainer ring, and the retainer ring having a pair of integrally formed wedging guides projecting from the outer periphery of the retainer ring between the punch and die rings beyond the flanges to bend the flexible ring away from the rigid ring in the portion of the outer periphery of the retainer ring remote from said flanged portion.
 8. Apparatus of claim 7 further including tape guiding means extending into the hollow central region of the cylindrical retainer ring for guiding the tape between the punch and die rings in the region in which the rings are wedged apart.
 9. Apparatus of claim 8 including actuating means engaging the flexible ring at a point adjacent the place where the tape passes between the punch and die rings for bending the flexible ring toward the rigid ring to squeeze the tape between the punch and die elements and emboss the tape.
 10. Apparatus of claim 9 wherein the flexible ring has a plurality of radially projecting fingers formed by radial slits between each embossing element, the slits being substantially shorter than the inner radius of the ring and only slightly shorter than the radial thickness of the ring, whereby the fingers can be individually deflected without transmitting sufficient twisting force through the ring to produce any embossing action by the adjacent fingers. 